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There Are More Types of Killer Whales Than You Even Thought Possible

And scientists are actually discovering new orcas all the time.

If you were whale-obsessed as a kid you probably know that "killer whale" is just a dramatic name for an orca and that they're actually dolphins, not whales. But, did you know that there are more types of orcas than you ever thought?

Scientists are actually discovering new orcas all the time.

According to LiveSciencethere are four types of orca in the waters of Antarctica: Type A, B, C and D. And, there are three types of orca in the North Pacific: resident, transient and offshore.

But, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says those types can be separated into smaller populations. The organization notes, for instance, that there are four populations of resident whales each with "its own unique diet, behaviors, social structure and habitat."

And, NOAA's killer whale chart also seems to show four types per hemisphere with even those breaking down into smaller categories. (Small and large Type B in the southern hemisphere, and Type 1 and Type 2 Eastern North Atlantic orca in the northern hemisphere.)

There seem to be a total of 10 recognized forms under the single orca species.

According to Wired, when Type D orcas were first seen in the 1950s, scientists thought their bulbous heads, tiny white eye patches and curved dorsal fins were genetic abnormalities. Eventually other sightings were recorded to confirm their Type D status.

Per NatGeo, some scientists believe the preliminary genetic testing may even classify Type D as its own species.

NOAA reports that what essentially separates types of ocas comes down to how they look, what they eat, where their habitat is and what their behavior is like. And no types interbreed, despite some sharing waters, which makes them all pretty distinct.

On the surface, it may seem as if the killer whale is thriving and living in all kinds of climates and eating all kinds of things.

But, now knowing there are different types and populations, LiveScience notes that scientists can better track how individual types of orcas are doing. Maybe one ecotype isn't faring as well as another, or one is doing super well.

Knowing how many kinds of killer whales there are can help researchers build a bigger picture of overall ocean health for this species and others.

Plus, it's just totally awesome to know orcas are all as different as you and me.